Photojournalism, or How to Photograph Demonstrations
- Mar 7
- 2 min read
My journey into photography began with photojournalism. It was the safest genre for me, because I was capturing the moment and didn’t have to worry about the content. I liken it to hunting. One second is enough, and a great shot is gone. Sometimes I catch the moment, but later I see that the photograph doesn’t look the way I expected.
Photojournalism is full of unpredictable moments. You never know in what lighting conditions you will be shooting, from what distance, or whether you’ll manage to capture the right moment. At the same time, it takes me to places an ordinary person wouldn’t go — behind the scenes of demonstrations, fashion show backstages and concerts, closed corporate events of multinational companies, and even theater backstages. Every environment is inspiring, and the opportunity to peek inside it allows you to understand people and life a little better.
What exactly is photojournalism?
It is an authorial capturing of a moment and an event that would eventually disappear without the photograph.
Even though a photographer acts as an observer when shooting a report, the resulting images of different creators will never be the same. I was fascinated when I discovered that twelve people can photograph the same event and moment in such a way that each of their final sets tells a completely different visual story.
I experienced this during my studies at the ITF (Institute of Creative Photography). As part of a Prague photojournalism workshop, about twelve students went out to photograph one of the large demonstrations in Prague. The next day, each of us had to present our own authorial set.
It was then that I understood one important thing — holding a camera is not enough. Even in photojournalism, what matters is not only observation but also the way we think about the shot. And courage. In my opinion, courage is often underestimated in photography.
It is courage — not only in photojournalism — that helps me get interesting assignments and capture shots that have depth and authenticity. Of course, it also comes with the risk that someone might not like my close-up photography. And sometimes it really happens. But when I’m in the process and “hunting,” that risk is worth it.
Below, you can see photographs taken in 2019 at a demonstration in Letná, Prague. I was the only one who approached the organizers and asked if I could photograph under the stage and also backstage. And you know what? They let me.
This resulted in images that capture the event not only from the perspective of a spectator but also from behind the scenes.
Don’t be afraid to find your own path.
In photography and in life.
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